How to Select the Right Aesthetician College Near Columbia Tennessee

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Columbia TN, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Columbia residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of programs are offered.

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Esthetics Training Programs

Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing.  More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.

Esthetician Job Description

Estheticians provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Columbia Tennessee clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:

• Assessing a patient’s needs
• Chemical peels
• Laser treatments
• Waxing
• Facials
• Massage of the head and neck
• Microdermabrasion

Online Esthetics Courses

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Columbia TN students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools

Following is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Columbia home, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Columbia TN employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Columbia TN salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, consult the Tennessee school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to open a Columbia TN beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Columbia TN businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

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Enroll in the Best Columbia Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Columbia Tennessee.

 

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